2009......

Happy New Year to Everyone! As I write this I am getting ready for an 80's party! You know: big hair, scrunchie socks, jeans tucked into your socks, rockin T-shirts and glitzy jewerly (now they call it bling) Token pictures of that wild and crazy 10 yrs will be forth coming later. I was going to go pregnant but thought better of it since kids from church will be there and that might confuse some of them when they have me in class on Sunday.

This party brings back memories of the late 80's in Mesquite, Texas. Our SS class was having a party (our class had lots of parties) for New Year. Gary, a dear friend wanted to go as the New Year Baby....but his wife Deborah could not get his diaper fixed just right. All of our kids were standing around him as I strapped a cotton cloth around his waist and bathing suit.
I remember it well b/c Gary was a great laugher!!! Gary was a godly man who would witness about his Jesus anytime anywhere. He was a loud guy but when it came to him talking about his Lord, he was very humbled. Gary later died in the 90's from Aides due to blood transfusions when he was seriously wounded in Nam.
So today I remember with love and humbleness, the path of life that led us to meet and love on Gary!
And today, I am thankful again for the lives that I have blended with thru this media called "Blogging." I have met new friends and touched again w/old friends. I have met the adult friends of my daughters when they were growing up and now get to watch their childeren do the same. The girls who use to spend time in our home, picked up from activities, talked to on the phone and carpooled with their mothers.
As I have said before: This really is A Wonderful Life!

Joy for 09!

On The Nightstand...

The Rules!!!!
* Grab the nearest book.
* Open the book to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your blog along with these instructions.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.
* Tag five other people to do the same


My Book: With an Everlasting Love by Kay Arthur
Page 56: Eliezer proceeded, eyes still twinkling. He wouldn't of missed this for anything. "Also, there shall be paid to Massah and to Bernice one hundred silver coins each. Now for Christianna. First she shall receive unlimited funds, not to be abused, but to be used to provide her every need until the day of the consumation of the covenent agreement of marriage."

I bought this book when my girls were teens. Before they got married, I had them read this book. I give this book a 5 star rating!!!
Why is it on my nightstand? Because I want to be reminded of the meaning of everlasting love...the kind I receive from my Saviour and the kind I need to give my husband everyday!

I tag: Shana (b/c I know she has books by her bedside) Erin, Alexis (when she get settled in Japan), Brandy and my newest blogger friend-Laurie in CA

What time is it????

She was soooo excited! KK was turning 7 on Dec 28th but we opened the present on Fri the 26th. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside Resort while Christmas-ing in Disney. This picture does not show her face as well as I would liked, but I think you can tell how excited she was to receive her very first

MICKEY MOUSE watch! A real watch w/his hands showing the time. May I brag on her alittle...she immediately could count by 5's, the hour was alittle hard....BUT in 6 hrs she was giving the correct time! It was funny to listen to everyone ask her "What time is it KK?" She would look at her watch and move those sweet lips as she counted. My how time has flown, first we were in Texas holding this tiny babe, (remember Kathy?) now we are bragging about her intellect over a watch! One day, we will be watching her graduate, go off to college, get married! And maybe just maybe have a great-grandchild to hold....but oh my, I am rushing time! It needs to slow down a bit! I don't want to go "back to the future" just yet.

What can I say, today is my birthday, celebration away!

How well I remember ages 6, 12 and 18. These were year’s filled w/lots of life to be seen.
At 20 years of age, 30 sounded so old, my memory so distinctly had me believe what I was told.
Then 21 came and I settled in. My heart was young and my mind was free. There were no worries to bother me.

I found the truest love at age 21 in Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior-hey I won! And if I look back to that decision, I never regret the life choice I lived in.
At 23 yrs and ever so fun, I found my second love, whom became a reflection of the Son.
My best friend I wed just days after 23, we started a life, and soon baby made three.
At age 25 I became a mother, something I wanted to be like no other!
Again God blessed me in the year 27 with another little girl, and all I could think of was this must be heaven.

The turns and twists of life on this earth, helped me to see the plan of Mary’s birth. This plan was so obvious, played out to each degree, I am thrilled to play a part in this miracle of me. Not to toot my own horn or cause attention to me, but to let God receive all the praise and glory.

Now I am 30, that age I would not ride. But something told me there was more life inside.
In my 30’s I recognized all the wonder of age, of children, broken cars, money problems and sage. Sage, you may ask? Why sage, b/c it rhymes? No, sage is a spice that clearly defines. Sage is a taste that delights your tongue in the smallest of ways, so the 30’s gave me quite memorable days.
My children were growing both physical and spiritual, my marriage continued on a course quite traditional.

Now 40 was the era of time I enjoyed b/c life gets better as it gets explored. My daughters were growing and doing what they should, and I knew very soon an empty nest was to be our ‘hood.’
At 43 my oldest daughter wed, and now 8 yrs later I sometimes find 3 little girls in our bed.
Number 50 came in with on a cool winters breeze. Had I known I needed surgery, I would of stopped the big tease. A party I wanted to ring in 5-Ooo but rest was all I needed to restart my mo-jo.

I see myself standing at age 52, in a green gown holding my shoes. My baby is married and I am so proud, she picked the man we prayed for, and they vowed.

Tonight I stare at a big 5-5 looking back on these years with gratefulness and wonder to my Lord whom I hold so dear. So Father in heaven, I stand again amazed at Your awesome glory and give You thundering praise!
That You have chosen to give ME this gift of 55, may I be ever so watchful of my chance to stay alive. May I stand alive in Your presence, alive in this orchestrated band, alive w/my husband, daughters, sons and grands. May I use my time wisely being held in Your hand and each day keep my focus on the grander plan.
I have no idea where You lead in my future but I am ever blessed to be living this venture.

I love you, Lord Jesus, Steve, Shana, Jill, Billie, Warren, KK, LB, AA (and soon to be EG & any other grands that may sit upon my knee)

I've been tagged....by Erin

Number 4....

1. Choose the 4th picture folder on my computer 2. Choose the 4th picture

3. Explain the picture 4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

This is from Spring 2007. This pic shows how much fun a group of 'sista's' can have w/a random picnic! Erin and her friend from Hattiesburg were up for a Beth Moore conference and so Brandy (carrying the basket) and I (not in picture) met them for lunch at Union Station in downtown Nashville, TN. I remember ideally that we wanted to picnic in the park but decided that time was not on our side so we skipped (not really) over to Union Station where God so wonderfully gave us a vacant table out back w/real cushion chairs. (how was we to know that Union Station was redesigning their dinning hall?) The only thing that was missing was a tablecloth and candles....oh yeah and music but who were we to baulk at God's design that day. We had so much fun together and the rest of the pictures displayed that fun!

I tag....

1. Shana

2. Alexis

3. Ronnie

4. Brandy

Peppermint, Swirls, PokaDots & Trees.....

Do you see hairbows?.... Do you see the handiwork.?... Do you see a little girl?...

She is there, in every bow! Her name is Ellagrace, she is our adopted granddaughter from Ethiopia!!

Actually, this is a FUNDRAISER for her Adoption! $5.00 per bow!!! (not bad)

They can be in your holiday hands and into the hair of a little girl before Christmas Day pictures are taken at a family near you!

Just contact me thru this blog or email me from my profile....OR get on my daughters blog titled : our daughter/son and grandchildren. Leave me all your information for mailing purposes....and Shana will get them out pronto!

We thank you for any proceeds you may give toward this awesome cause!

That He answered.....

....Dreams are funny. They most certainly capture many things that happened through your day. Monday was a busy day. (like my sister said,
"I need 48 hrs w/o time to sleep to get everything I need done on time) You know those days when you never sit down long enough before something else calls you to keep busy. Well that was my December 1st.

I finally get rested enough to go to sleep, I drift off into unconscienceness....till around 2am then 4am then 5:30am (my hand was banging painful throbs up my elbow) Somewhere between 5:30 and 7 I had a dream. Not the kind that Martin Luther had. I had a really bad nightmare, of which I will not go into. (honestly if I told you the dream ya'll would think I was wack-o) Nevertheless, a bad dream occured! What I noticed was half way through this BD, I called out the name of Jesus. Actually I started singing "Jesus Jesus Jesus, sweetiest name I know." And I immediately woke up!! I cannot describe how glad I was to wake up and know that it was just a dream.

As I lay there, b/c I can't go to sleep now, I immediately thought: How great it is to call out the name of Jesus and THAT HE ANSWERED!

My first email today came from Shana's best friend in Alabama. The verse she had on her email was: "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of Hosts" Jeremiah 15:16. WOW! Just what I needed this morning.

Do you call out to God and know for certain that He will answer? If I am honest, I have to say that sometimes I do not! I do not call out b/c I do not know if He will answer me. This dream and the way I called out to Him, reinstilled in me that I can be certain God will answer my cries for help, my plea for others, my meek way of asking for things, my upset attitude when things are not going well. God hears them all and He does answer. We have all heard it said that God answers 3 ways: yes, no and wait a minute! Well this morning, December 2nd, God heard my cry for help (in a dream no less) and rescued me one more time! OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!

I know that I know that I know....

I KNOW WHO I AM...

I am God ' s child (John 1:12) I am Christ ' s friend (John 15:15 ) I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17) I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20) I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1) I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8) I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14) I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27) I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8: 1-2) I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20) I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34) I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21) I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18) I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6) I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39) I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 ) I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 ) I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 ) I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 ) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13) I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5) I am God 's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10) I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)I am God ' s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God 's workmanship (Eph. 2:10) I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God 's child (Eph 1:5)

I belong to God. Do you know Who you are!?